APOEL extended its winning streak and caught Aris in 1st place
He was nervous but… APOEL got the victory, winning 1-0 against Nea Salamina in the GSP. The Nicosia team had the upper hand for the longest period of the match and thanks to the “golden” goal of Villaphanes in the 40' (he scored his first this year), they reached their fourth consecutive victory.
First half
The match at GSP started at a fast pace with APOEL having the initiative of the movements and Nea Salamina trying to become threatening through counter-attacks.
The first good phase of the match belonged to the hosts in the 4th minute with Villafanes' diagonal shot from the right of the area forcing Melissa to make an excellent save.
In the very next minute, the team from Warsaw “answered” with Kone's long shot going just over the goalposts of Belets.
In the 8th minute, the “blue and yellow” threatened again with Susic making the cross. shot and the ball goes past Melissa's right-hand crossbar.
Eight minutes later the capital team lost another good phase with Gavriel's fine diagonal pass from outside the area going past the vertical beam of the opponent's hearth.
In the 25th minute, the hosts missed a huge opportunity to open the scoring. Zefte passed whoever he found from the left, took the shot with Melissa blocking and in the rebound Dogala was unable to send the ball into the nets into an empty net.
Four minutes later Sarfo scored the crossbar. beam! The Ghanaian took the header from Dogala's cross from the right with the ball not doing him any favors.
In the 40th minute, APOEL found what they were looking for with Vijafanes! The “blue and yellow” went on the counterattack, Gavriel gave to the Argentine who from the height of the area made a drift shot with Melissa miscalculating the phase and seeing the ball end up in the nets.
So the two teams were taken to the dressing room with the home team having the lead.
2nd half
With the home team having the initiative of the movements, B started ' part of the GSP.
In the 59th minute, the “blue-and-yellow” threatened for the first time in the replay, with Gavriel going behind the opponent's defense after a nice vertical shot by Villafanes, making the shot and Melissa making the save.
Seven minutes later the hosts threatened again with Fetfatzidis finding Konstantinov superbly in the area and the latter making the shot with Melissa saying no.
The Nicosia side continued to have the upper hand. and he missed another good chance in the 80th minute, with Villafanes' long shot being blocked by the goalkeeper of the “red and whites”.
In the very next minute, newly-arrived Kvilitaia missed a huge chance to give his team a two-goal lead! The Georgian, alone face-to-face with Melissa, squared over the body of the Helladite.
In the remaining minutes, the guests pushed for the equalizing goal, but they did not manage to become a threat to the opposing goal.
So the “blue and yellow” reached their fourth consecutive victory and caught Aris at the top of the standings.
THE IDENTITY OF THE MATCH
APOEL (Dominguez): Belets, Petrovic, Zefte, Vijafanies (90' Satsias), Crespo, Susic (46' Chebak), Dalsio, Gabriel (72' Kvilitaia), Sarfo (72' Ephraim), Kostandinov, Dongala (60' Fetfajidis).
Nea Salamina (Christodoulou): Melissas, Sergiou, Miguelito, Fernandes (62' Narsing), Carlitos, Kone, Doregarai (62' Durmisai), Leuko (83' Konate), Viktoros, Diakite (83' Chelea), Katsiaris (62' Gusmanovic).
Scorer: 40' Whites/-
Yellows: 51' Petrovic, 78' Kostantinov/74' Sergiou, 89' Narsing
Reds: -/-
Referee: Antonio Marios
VAR: Pezzuto Ivano
